Educational support in mainstreaming practices project: Evaluation of the effectiveness of paraprofessional education

Inclusive education is important for children with special needs to get equal opportunities and have education with their peers. In order to apply inclusive education effectively, it is essential to provide suitable educational support. However,considering the conditions in Turkey, it can be stated that educational support services cannot be provided sufficiently since there are not enough special education teachers in the field. Therefore, it is suggested that other sources/personnel are needed in order to give support to students with special needs, to their families, and teachers. Focusing on these needs, this study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a paraprofessional educator training program. Multiple probe design with probe conditions across subjects was used in the study. Findings and limitations of the study are discussed in line with the literature. Keywords: Mainstreaming, inclusion, special education support services, paraprofessional educator.